Chase Elliott repeats as Most Popular Driver in K&N East

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For the second year in a row, Chase Elliott has been named the Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Elliott, son of 16-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Most Popular Driver Bill Elliott, was the only repeat winner from a year ago. The 16-year-old, second-generation driver from Dawsonville, Ga., collected 56 percent of the votes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East while finishing fourth in the final driver standings.

“This means a lot to me, personally, knowing that there are a lot of folks out there that follow our racing,” said Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet. “I know fans of my dad's have always been loyal to him, and I feel the same about mine. We’ve had a great year, and I’m thankful for the support of my family, friends, sponsors and fans.”

Nearly 210,000 votes were cast in the balloting across NASCAR's seven touring series, which opened in mid-August and ended on Sunday, Nov. 18 on NASCARHomeTracks.com. The total surpassed last year’s record of more than 136,000 votes cast by 54 percent. This season’s record number is more than four times the 50,743 votes in 2008, the first year the Most Popular Driver voting was conducted online. For the second straight year voters were able to see the results as they voted.

“These numbers demonstrate how the fan base of NASCAR’s touring series continues to grow,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. “Several drivers across the board engaged fans through various forms of social media which has taken this award to a new level.”

Elliott will be recognized at the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards on Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center's Crown Ballroom in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.